CIro Marchetti's new deck. Gilded Reverie Deck

It has been some time since i last purchased a deck. and the most recent purchase which i have is Ciro's Gilded Reverie Deck 
http://www.ciromarchetti.com/Lenormand.html


The lenormand system is different from tarot and could consist of between 36 to 40 cards.

For Ciro's deck there is a total of 40 cards which includes cards like Dice, Bridge, Masks

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26087493/Gilded%20Reverie%20Lenormand.pdf

The deck done by ciro is very pretty. and he gave a quote in the pouch given with each deck.

On mine it is " Through your voice the cards can speak."

The card which i have which differs from the book is the ring card. Mine is a green stone whereas in the ciro's book it is a red stone of ruby.  Perhaps mine is an emerald like that of green lantern... May my will be done....

Oracle of visions. My favourite cards.

Recently, the oracle of vision is one of the decks which is good for the using as a significator to lay a stage prior to reading. the following are some of my favourite cards in the deck.

The above is the card strength of support of others. Many a time we need to rely on the strenght of others in order to perform. We also lend strenght to others as well. In order for a performance to be a success, normally it is a co-operation of both the one supporting as well as the one who is dancing. We should remember on whose backs do we do our work on as well as team work is a key.

The beauty of creation. When a man and a woman gets together, we can create a miracle. In the watchman from alan moore, the comedian and the silk spectre created the silk spectre 2. It is this act of creation which moves Dr manhatten to aid mankind.

Children should be protected by divine powers. Om is all around them and all the signs are in their favour.

"Beware the wolf...." a tale of caution...... In peril one is there is always some danger awaiting to pounce on you..... I like the eyes of the wolf in this card as well as a modern portrayal of a very oil tale.....

Patience is needed in fishing...... a bit of imagination to wile the time away...... fishing without a bait..... May the one willing please step up.... a call for volunteers....

This card reminds me of the 2 of pentacles of balance and choices.... with the power of libra.... one must be fair and a good juggler of deeds.

Oracle of Visions By Ciro Machetti.

The oracle of vision is 3 years work for Ciro Machetti, who did the Gilded tarot, the tarot of dreams and the divine legacy tarot.

The above card is names as tranquility or peace and depicts a person at rest from worries and suffering.
A lot of the pictures in the oracle has a fool as the main character. Here it is the fool out of the box. Starting anew.

This is another picture of a fool thinking of which path to take.

The above is a card of entrapment.

The above is a puzzle which is related to the oracle of visions.

Haindl Tarot

It has been ages since i last wrote a review on a deck.
The most recently i have been working with the Haindl tarot.
Ash abdullah once told me this deck is not a easy deck to work with and i agree in a certain manner. It combines Iching, Runes, Kaballah and also mythical figures all in one. A lot of symbolic power, but not all i agree with.

The deck was done in 1990 which was 10 years prior to 9 11 incident. The tower in this deck does look like the 9 11 incident and it is powered by Algis rune inverted. that is of change and devastation. This i much agree. Americans prior to 9 11 thought themselves invincible. this change sparked a lot of things terrorism and of fear. Like the tower card.

The thing which i dislike about the tarot is the cards like court cards. they are gods and goddesses. if a person is not attuned to that god or does not know myths it becomes distracting to use. Kali is the queen of swords..... Impartial she is she could be a good lady or a fierce enemy.

Buffalo woman is the princess of stones...... Buffalo is the source of meat and of a lot of livelihood in the north american culture.....

The fool is given the runes of Wunjo which is good as it is of happiness and of in a drunken and high stage which most people act when they are fools..... but powerful potential for good or evil....

The Iching Gua is in the minor arcana. Here i find most of the gua are quite well placed. the liberation gua is against that of 7 of wands. Change and revolt against the odds......

recovery or repair is the gua associated in the 4 of swords..... which quite true.

Overall this deck is for a person who understands all the different arts for various cultures to use to its full potential... Good advance deck and one of the best attempts to link tarot with Iching.

A review of the Fenestra Tarot By Larry Lee.

Special thanks to Larry Lee, who is much intuned and much aligned with this deck, for writing the following review. Your skill of the pen matches your ability to use tarot.

The Fenestra Tarot has mystified us on mystical truths in fantastic manners and views of a dreamscape. For Example, the deck aids readers with its pastel colors of reddish brown borders in matters of the heart. Its lunar curves of the borders have powers of the moon, futher strenght is shown by the twin roses which in most languages speak of 2 hearts aligned.... and attracts many female querant. I like the blend of Egyptian and Siamese art with a touch of the depiction of several characters from Greek, Celtic and Hematic cultures.

I certain sense a feeling of the artist's ideal in the painting of the cards. I feel that Chatriya has many ups and downs like the tides of the moon when it came to relationships. It has helped me sooth the hearts and ease the minds of many a querant with thoughts of relationship issues.

Personally the Aura of the moon and the relationship power comes through strongly to me in a few cards. First of all i see the 8 of cups. In most Rider decks, you would see only the back of the person as he strides forth in the search of more. However, in the Fenestra tarot, the feminine strength is shown by depicting a lady instead of man. Secondly the lady seems filled with a lot of unease and could not bear to leave the current 8 cups to go on her journey. It seems that her search would be a comparison to that of the current relationship......

The next card with much image is the 7 of cups. In this card the person is looking up on options which seem quite clear to him without the mists of illusion. But it is not totally so. the objects of the cups and the choices available are not totally visible. they are only like the crescent of moon half seen.

Hence it emphasis the dillema which choice is to be made based on half truths......

The strength refers to strong will within and much charisma. I like this depiction as the lady is shown totally at ease with a mighty beast and that there is no effort to soothe the beast. The beast is content and in her laps like a kitten..... this show of strength is one of good internal control. not that of physical might.
The back of the card has special significance to me the twin roses in the spiral of a DNA resembles the power of emotions which one would have when using the cards. the central circle if seen in manners of different light resembles the moon in its varied faces. and strengthen the powers of lunar strength.

I would like to thank Chatriya for working and completing this deck.
her website is http://www.chatriya.com/

SHADOWSCAPE TAROT BY STEPHANIE PUI-MUN LAW.

Some time back, i wrote about the art of Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. She is a very good artist and i liked the deck which is highly anticipated.

http://www.shadowscapes.com/tarot


Chariot of water, with the symbols and feel of cancer with homely and strong tortoise. the perserverance of the card cutting through the waves is strong and majestical....

The sureness of the unicorns enhances the picture. i like the seamless blend of colors is another very good point.
Swans of purity encircling a sword..... apt. power of air.

The hierophant is a sagely tree where all life stems from.....

Encirclement of love and color is that of the cups.

Feel free as the fool. i really like her blend in colors and look forward to working with this deck.

Diary of a Broken soul is in the top 10 decks of 2009.

" Every journey starts with a vision...."

Martin luther king once said..." I had a dream...."

When i first met Ash in 2008, she did not imagine that the deck and potential of her art would be widely experienced and expected that it would be published into a full deck.

When i met her, initially she finished only the majors. and i told her work on all the cards and the deck will be complete....

With fiery passion and with more encouragement by friends and family, slowly her deck is built.

Like a wave of inspiration, it is unrepressed.... and it was published late last year....

Having a physical form the deck became.... one of the much seen decks and the concept of the house of cards is born....

Top 10 in the tarot community website...

Good job my friend.....

The Top deck last year is currently one deck which i too am asking my students and friends to use too is the divine legacy deck done by Ciro who is a great artist and true gentlemen.

With such great artists and decks, the tarot community in the world will florish....

Perhaps one day the myth of tarot being evil may be broken and it will be a truly a mirror to one's soul.

Diary of a broken soul.... completed

After 3 years of effort and work, Ash completed the deck. http://diary.tarotsmith.net/#galleryI did a spread to show my direction in life.

It looks good on a black reading cloth.....

it comes in a box with a mystical voodoo symbol of a long forgotten god.

The ace of swords gives me a sense of a release from the state in which i am in.... Like the katana of old it pierces the night and bright light it brings. A fool or a magician is about to embark on the path in the night sky......

Mirroring the ace is the queen of swords, a lady of the sky. time is not right she calls to me.... your holiday is over..... work beacons.....

Yes i was exerting myself a lot.... what once was harmony. there was pain..... time for me to mend the wounds and to make 5 staffs to one.....

Into the trap of a job i go.... again to the corporate world...... the backstabbings and politics await me....

Yet from this all will come hope and another new adventure awaits me.

Tarot of the divine legacy Mass production.

Finally i got the mass production deck to do my readings with.

I liked the deck on the onstart. and it is very good to see. i like the moon with its promises.

His website has many a wall paper to down load.

This is the reading mat.

Although the mass production series does not come with the art book.... it is comes with a book on explanations on the individual cards.

I like the use of a naked lady basking in the moon as promises and secrets.

commentary by Ciro

MOON
Following the star angel, the Fool continues on into a strange dreamlike scene. He finds himself in an ancient mystical temple; water reflecting moonlight, which in turn reflects sunlight. This is a strange dreamlike and passive environment. The Fools emotional roller coaster ride over the previous few cards is finally taking its toll. He saw glimpses of this other world when in the presence of the High Priestess, and during his period of contemplation as the Hanging Man. But now the illusion is in the forefront, can he really hear the howling of wolves. His instincts waver; one moment controlled another wild and primordial. Once again he must find the will to move beyond or risk being lost forever in this alter reality, a consequence of his emotional state.

The hermit a man of wisdom.... looks abit like grey hawk from the lonewolf series. comments by the artist is as follows

HERMIT

Our reclusive figure blends into the background skyline and mountain range. The winding path suggests distance and isolation. The Hermit is pensive, his expression projects fatigue and effort. This is no fun camping trip, but an endeavor. In his isolation and solace he can reflect without distraction, searching for truth and understanding. The glowing crystal replaces the more traditional lantern, as the device by which he manifests his will to illuminate the way forward.
The use of the crystal in this way blends nicely with its role in my companion story, along with its use in various forms throughout the suite of Wands

The high priestess echoes of the moon... perhaps the lady in the moon is the high priestess?

commentary by artist

HIGH PRIESTESS

Compared to the physical tangible knowledge of the Magician, the High Priestess represents spiritual knowledge; that which cannot be measured, contained and quantified, but no less powerful for that. It’s the subconscious or inner voice

The female figure emerges from deep still waters of that subconscious, holding a scroll alluding to esoteric ancient knowledge. The pomegranate with its multiple seeds, a symbol of fertility, but according to some traditions, was also the forbidden fruit of Eden, and as such another source of knowledge. The owl is also a traditional symbol of wisdom, an appropriate companion. Her golden headdress creates a halo like imagery which along with the hooded cowl garment suggest religious almost Madonna like overtones.

Depicted here, as a distant figure, unlike the Empress card that follows, the Priestess doesn't project warmth and comfort. Her power is palpable and unquestioned. She is not to be feared, but there is a certain coldness, and discomfort in her presence.

On a personal note, as a young child I was brought up in an elementary school, taught by Roman Catholic nuns. The headmistress or “mother superior” was very much in my mind in depicting this High Priestess.

The main theme of the deck is the fool and the hour glass. I see a lot of masking and the masking and the unmasking of the fool from 0 - 22 the world.

http://www.ciromarchetti.com/welcome.htm

THE FOOL
So here we have the Fool as the 0 card that pre-empts the Major Arcana. Our hero leaps and balances deftly on the hourglass. The colored sand reconfirms that we are at the beginning. From his decorated travel box, fly glimpses of the future, characters he will meet and events that his future holds. He reaches out enthusiastically to embrace them, the world literally at his feet. His is eager and innocent, he is unaware and therefore without fear of the precariousness of his position and the potential dangers it might also represent. His faithful companion, not quite as enthusiastic or confident of their safety, nevertheless holds on for the ride. So let the journey begin.